Bridge Project in Tatamy Won’t Reroute Annual Fireman's Parade

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has targeted late summer or early fall for work to begin on the new bridge over the Bushkill Creek in Tatamy, which bridges Tatamy Road and Uhler Road.

Ron Young, press officer for PennDOT district 5-0, said the final design is being worked on by Bi-State Construction Inc. in Easton. The project is what PennDOT calls a design build contract, which means the company that creates the final design, also handles the construction.

The topic of the project came up at last week's Tatamy Borough Council meeting when Shawn McDonald, Tatamy Borough's fire chief, asked if there was a timetable for the project.  He heard the project was slated to begin in July, which would affect the fire department's preparations for the annual Fireman's Parade.

McDonald and the fire department are in the middle of planning the annual tradition, which brings in fire companies from Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  The parade is usually held in early July, according to McDonald.

Depending on when construction begins, the parade route would have to be accommodated, McDonald told council members.

Young said that once the work is started, the project should be completed by late fall 2012. The bridge project will cost about $2.7 million, he said.

Since the project isn't slated to begin until late summer or early fall, the Fireman's Parade should march off as planned and as routed this summer, according to Young.